What K Blazer does very well is perform. In traffic, its size was a definite asset. Other vehicles seemed to respond to K Blazer's "get out of my way" statement. Handling was sure and responsive. There was little or no body roll in cornering. The power steering system is one of the best, with enough road feedback to let you know what is going on, yet enough power to handle every on- and off-road situation with ease.There is a standard four-wheel antilock system on the front disc/rear drum brakes. They performed flawlessly in our test, with no evidence of "shudder" as the system applied and released the brakes to help prevent wheel lockup and skidding. The independent coil spring suspension offered a smooth, solid ride and worked well in some he rutted off-road going. If you'll be doing a lot of off-roading, you could be very happy with K Blazer. It is excellent in the mud, in the ruts, among boulders and going up and down grades. The K Blazer's Insta-Trac 4x4 System also performed without a hiccup. We shifted on the move from 2WD to 4WD high in some muddy ruts and kept right on going. Shifting to 4WD low for a muddy grade involved stopping, shifting the optional automatic transmission into neutral, then shifting the transfer case to 4WD low. While not exactly state-of-the-art, it was no big deal and very similar to the 4WD low shift requirements of many competitors. Some positive comments about the optional diesel engine (the standard engine is Chevrolet's faithful 5.7-liter, 350 EFI V8, producing 200 hp at 4,000 rpm): Unlike some of GM's early car/light-truck diesel engines that exhibited substandard zeal, this engine really works, especially in the K Blazer. It runs strong, clean and relatively quiet and provides performance similar to a gasoline engine while offering the economy and strength of a diesel. The diesel option adds $2,825 (with dual batteries standard) to the base price, but we feel this cost would be offset over time with lower fuel bills. |
